Child{40 s bed support for motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

A stand for supporting a baby&#39;&#39;s bed within a motor vehicle which consists of two individual, interengageable, foldable units. Each unit consists of a telescoping rod capable of being braced against opposed surfaces of a car interior. Each rod is adapted to be rested on the seat of the vehicle and has a foldable leg erectable to support it on the floor of the vehicle. Each rod also has a foldable spacing member capable of being moved into normal relation thereto and having at its free end means for engaging the rod of the other unit, to thereby both space and connect the units into a platform; the two spacing rods being connected to their rods in relatively different positions, intermediate the ends of the rod.

States atent [1 1 Elisofon et al.

68 66 B 60 iO\ Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney-GeorgeGottlieb et al.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT A stand for supporting a baby's bed within a motorvehicle which consists of two individual, interengageable, foldableunits. Each unit consists of a telescoping rod capable of being bracedagainst opposed surfaces of a car interior. Each rod is adapted to berested on the seat of the vehicle and has a foldable leg erectable tosupport it on the floor of the vehicle. Each rod also has a foldablespacing member capable of being moved into normal relation thereto andhaving at its free end means for engaging the rod of the other unit, tothereby both space and connect the units into a platform; the twospacing rods being connected to their rods in relatively differentpositions, intermediate the ends of the rod.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CHILD'S BED SUPPORT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Thepresent invention relates to a platform for supporting an infant's bedin a motor vehicle such as the conventional passenger automobile and,more particularly, for supporting an infants bed of the type that isdetachable from a baby carriage.

Many infants or baby carriages or strollers are formed with a detachablysuspended infant-receiving bed which generally includes a fabric orcloth bed held within a rigid metal frame; and the present invention isdirected to the provision of a platform to be mounted within the vehicleon which such detachable bed is supported and secured.

Various devices have heretofore been proposed to be used for supportingadetachable infants carriage bed in a motor vehicle. Generally suchdevices were either in the form of appendages or attachments for theframe of the detachable bed which engage over the seat backs of thevehicle, and in general, even with other types, were not firmly fixedand secured within the vehicle and, therefore, were not sufficientlysafe for use and exposed the child reposing therein to injury in case ofeven minor accident or sudden stop. Further, such prior devices wereeither clumsy and bulky, and, therefore, inconvenient to transport orstore when not in use or involved the use of relatively smallattachments which, when detachable, were prone to be misplaced or lost.

The present invention is, therefore, directed to a platform forsupporting a detachable infants bed for use in a motor vehicle which maybe safely and securely anchored and supported within the vehicle andwill safely and securely hold the bed supported thereon.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a platform, ofthe character described, which is braced against a plurality of pointswithin the vehicle, including the vehicle seat, to be therebysubstantially immobilized and held in place in fixed position within thevehicle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a platform forthe support of a detachable infants bed, within the vehicle of thecharacter described, which is compactly foldable and will occupy aminimum of space for easy and convenient storage for transportation whennot in use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide aplatform of the character described which may be quickly and easily setup within the vehicle and have the bed quickly and easily mounted andsecured thereon.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a platformfor the support of an infant's detachable bed within a vehicle, of thecharacter described, on which beds of varying sizes may be secured.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a platformfor supporting a detachable infants bed within a vehicle which may bereadily and easily adjusted to be set up in vehicles of various typesand sizes.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide aplatform for the support of a detachable infant's bed, of the cahracterdescribed, which may be positioned within the vehicle and on which theinfants bed may be secured, in various arrangements, as longitudinallyand transversely of the vehicle.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the supportingplatform for a detachable infant's bed for use in a vehicle will becomemore readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodimentthereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the descriptionfollowing. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment isshown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practiceof the invention more readily comprehensible and without any intent oflimiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the Drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bed supporting platform of theinvention, shown as set up within the rear compartment of a passengermotor vehicle, viewed from one side;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the vehicle interior, viewed from the otherside thereof, and showing a detachable infants bed mounted and securedon the platform; and

FIG. 3 is a detailed view, partly broken away of one end of a horizontalmember of the supporting platform of the invention.

Generally stated, the present invention consists in the formation of abed supporting platform for vehicles formed of two separate andindividual sections, each of which is foldable into an individual,ellongated, compactly folded body and each of which may be individuallyset up and secured in place within the vehicle and releasableinter-engaged with the other to provide a firm platform for the infantsbed; each member having means for securing one side of the carriage onthe platform.

More specifically stated, the platform of the invention consists of twoseparate, individual, substantially identical units designated as A andB. Each unit comprises a telescoping rod, generally designated at 10,adapted to form a side of the platform, formed of an outer tube, 12, andan inner tube, 14, telescoping within the outer tube 12; the two tubeshaving cooperating means for firmly securing them in adjusted telescopedposition. Such securing means may be of any conventional type used forsimilar purposes, as the longitudinally spaced appertures, 16, formed onthe inner tube, 14, and the aperture engaging element, 18, provided onthe telescoping end of tube 12.

Each of tubes 12 and 14 of each rod 10 is provided in its free end withan enlarged surface-contacting padlike relatively stiff disc, 20, whichis preferably pivotly supported on the end of the tube to be adjustableto the vertical angle of a surface against which it is to be engaged.One form of such pivotal mounting of pad 20 is illustrated in FIG. 3wherein the pad 20 is provided on its outer face with a stud 22 withinwhich is formed a socket, 24, for a ball, 26, mounted on the end of thetube.

Arms 10 of each of platform sections A and B may be rested, preferablyby their tubes 12, on the rear seat 28, of a vehicle and their lengthadjusted so that one of the pads 20 is braced against the front of therear seat 30 and the other is braced against the back of the front seat,32, to thereby be firmed in place. Each disc 20 is preferably of a sizeor diameter greater than that of the metal springs generally placed inthe interior of the backs of the front and rear seats 30 and 32 forgiving them resilience, so that they may overlap such springs andthereby avoid the tearing of the fabric overlying such springs.

The outer tube 12 of each rod may be of a length greater than the widthof the seat 28 and may be provided at its overlap with a leg, generallydesignated as 34, which may support and brace rod 10 on the floor, 36,of the vehicle. Each leg 34 may be pivotally supported on tube 12, inany desired manner for folding them against one another, when not inuse. In the illus trated embodiment, the pivotal supporting means forthe leg comprise links, 38 and 40, which are interhinged by one of theirends, as at 42, and pivoted by their other ends to the tube 12 and theleg 34. To accomodate the legs 34 for use in vehicles with seats 28 ofdifferent height they may be telescopically formed; consisting of anouter tube 44 and an inner tube 46 formed with spaced appertures, 47engageable by the engaging element 48 mounted on the outer tube 44.

It will be understood that leg 34 is so hinged on tube 12 that, whenerected, in normal relation to its connected rod 10, its free end willunderlie tube 12 and the latter will rest upon it. Tube 46 of leg 34 maybe provided at its free end with a caster, 50, which may be pivotlysupported thereon, as at, 52, to provide a wide base by which it may berested on vehicle floor 36 to render the leg more steady as well as topreserve the vehicle floor.

Means are provided on each of platform sections A and B forappropriately spacing them from one another and, at the same time,interconnecting them against displacement relative to one another whenthey are arranged within the vehicle for supporting a childs bed, 54,thereon. Such means may comprise connecting and spacing rods, 56 and 58,one of which, as 56, is pivotly connected to tube 12 of section A inrelatively close proximity to its free end and in a manner to bedisposed in folded relation thereagainst, in one position, and in normalrelation thereto in a section position. The other rod 58 may besimilarly connected to tube 12 of section B, but at a greater distancefrom its free end.

Spacing rods 56 and 58 may be pivotly connected to their respective tube12 in any desirable manner, such as by linkage similar to the linkageconnecting legs 34 to tubes 12. However, the pivoting means is soarranged that in folding and unfolding the rods 56 and 58 they may movein a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of lege 34 when thelatter are folded and unfolded.

Each of rods 56 and 58 is provided at its free end with means forengaging tube 12 of the opposed platform section against lateraldisplacement of that section relative to the section to which the rod isconnected. These means may be in the form of hooks, 60 and 62,connected, respectively, to the free ends of rods 56 and 58 which mayfit, as by snapping, over the tube 12.

It will be readily apparent that when platform sections A and B are setup within a vehicle with the telescoping rods 10 resting on the seatthereof and adjusted to be braced against the backs of the front and therear seats of the vehicle, with their legs supported on the floor of thevehicle, and the spacing rods 56 and 58 each engaged by its hook overtube 12, a firm and steady platform is provided for a childs bed 54.

Means are provided for securing the bed 54 for safely holding it on theplatform. Such means are shown to comprise a pair of longitudinallyspaced ears, 64 and 66, secured to each of tubes 12, to each of which issecured, by one end, an adjustable band 68, each provided with a hook,70, at its other end, which is engageable over the top edge of the bed54. Bands may be manually adjustable in length, in a manner that will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art, or may be automaticallyadjustable, as by being comprised of elastic material, as illustrated.It will be readily seen that when the platform is set up, as describedabove, and the bed 54 placed upon it and engaged by hooks 70, the bedwill be safely and securely held in place.

It may here be stated that while the bed 54 is shown in the drawing asbeing longitudinally disposed on the platform; the same may be disposedtransversely thereof in a manner that will be readily understood and notthought necessary to be separately illustrated.

It may here also be stated that the platform, instead of being supportedbetween the front and back seats of the vehicle, transversely of therear seat, it may be disposed to rest longitudinally thereon, with legs34 in folded position and telescopic rods 10 braced against the sides ofthe vehicle, in a manner that will be readily understood.

It will be readily apparent that a platform of the present invention maybe quickly and easily dismantled, when the bed 54 is removed therefrom,by disengaging hooks 70 from tubes 12; shortening telescopic rods 10 todisengage them from the vehicle seats and then folding legs 34 and theconnecting rods 56 and 58 against their connected tubes 12, to therebyarrange platform sections A and B in separate compact units that may beeasily stored and transported.

This completes the description of the vehicle platform for a child's bedof the present invention, and the manner of its use. It will be readilyapparent, however, that numerous variations and modifications thereinmay be made by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with theprinciples of the invention hereinabove set forth and without theexercise of any inventive ingenuity.

We claim:

1. A platform for supporting a childs bed within a vehicle, said vehicleincluding a rear seat and a front seat, said platform comprising a pairof units, each said unit comprising a rod, means extending said rod topress against the front of said rear seat and the back of said frontseat; a leg pivotally supported on said rod for movement into foldedposition thereagainst and to normal relation thereto for supporting saidrod on the floor of the vehicle; and a member pivotally connected toeach said rod for folding thereagainst in one position and to normalrelation thereto in another position, said member having means at oneend engageable over the rod of said outer unit for interengaging saidunits in spaced relation relative to one another, each said rod havingmeans connected thereto for engaging the childs bed rested on theplatform formed by the interconnection of said rods.

2. The platform of claim 1, wherein said rod is formed of a pair oftelescoping members and means are provided for interengaging saidmembers in adjusted telescopic position.

3. The platform of claim 2, wherein said telescoping members comprise aninner and an outer tube and said legs and said connecting members areeach connected on said outer tube.

4. The platform of claim 2, wherein said leg is arranged to have itsupper end underlie said rod when moved into nonnal position relativethereto.

each said unit has a disk-like plate pivotally connected thereto by itscenter at each end thereof.

8. The platform of claim 1, wherein said leg is telescopic and comprisesan outer upper tube and an inner lower tube and means are provided forinterengaging said inner and outer tube in adjusted telescoped posi-

1. A platform for supporting a child''s bed within a vehicle, saidvehicle including a rear seat and a front seat, said platform comprisinga pair of units, each said unit comprising a rod, means extending saidrod to press against the front of said rear seat and the back of saidfront seat; a leg pivotally supported on said rod for movement intofolded position thereagainst and to normal relation thereto forsupporting said rod on the floor of the vehicle; and a member pivotallyconnected to each said rod for folding thereagainst in one position andto normal relation thereto in another position, said member having meansat one end engageable over the rod of said outer unit for interengagingsaid units in spaced relation relative to one another, each said rodhaving means connected thereto for engaging the child''s bed rested onthe platform formed by the interconnection of said rods.
 2. The platformof claim 1, wherein said rod is formed of a pair of telescoping membersand means are provided for interengaging said members in adjustedtelescopic position.
 3. The platform of claim 2, wherein saidtelescoping members comprise an inner and an outer tube and said legsand said connecting members are each connected on said outer tube. 4.The platform of claim 2, wherein said leg is arranged to have its upperend underlie said rod when moved into normal position relative thereto.5. The platform of claim 2, wherein said connecting member is arrangedto have an end thereof abut the rod to which it is connected when movedinto normal position relative thereto.
 6. The platform of claim 2,wherein said legs and said connecting members are arranged for pivotalmovement in planes normal to one another.
 7. The platform of claim 1,wherein each said rod of each said unit has a disk-like plate pivotallyconnected thereto by its center at each end thereof.
 8. The platform ofclaim 1, wherein said leg is telescopic and comprises an outer uppertube and an inner lower tube and means are provided for interengagingsaid inner and outer tube in adjusted telescoped position.